Web servers have come a long way since Tim Berners-Lee developed CERN httpd in 1990 as the first Web browser project.
While some of the major web server vendors offer businesses closed-source web servers, many others retain the open-source value that Tim Berners-Lee embodies. The source code for CERN httpd was released in 1993. Take a look at the best open source web servers currently available for business.
1. NGINX HTTP Server
NGINX was developed by Russian engineer Igor Syosev in 2002 to cope with the growth of website traffic and broadband Internet, and thus the need to manage 10,000 simultaneous connections. His solution is an asynchronous event-driven architecture known for its high performance and efficiency.
It has become especially popular due to its scalability and minimal resources required to handle large user loads. It can also be used as a reverse proxy and mail proxy server.
2. Apache HTTP Server
Apache was founded in 1995, and the next year it became the most used HTTP server for nearly 20 years.
The name Apache was long considered a pun on the term "A Patchy Server," until one of its creators revealed that it was actually paying homage to the aggressive strategy of the American Indian tribe that shared its name.
Apache uses a modular architecture to meet the different needs of each individual infrastructure. It is known for its reliability, wide range of features and support for numerous server-side programming languages.
3. Lighttpd
"Lighttpd" is a combination of "Light" and "httpd", but uses "lighty" to describe its speed, flexibility and stability. Lightweight servers are optimized for high-performance, high-speed critical environments and are ideal for heavily loaded servers.
The server developed by Jan Kneschke has the same starting point as NGINX founder Igor Syosev: to solve the c10k problem of handling 10,000 concurrent connections on a single server. Lighttpd has a relatively low memory footprint, low CPU load and a set of advanced features. It has a high level of integratability to support interfacing with external programs and can be used with Web applications written in any programming language.
4. Hiawatha
Hiawatha was developed in 2002 by Hugo Leisink, who was studying computer science in the Netherlands and wanted a student dormitory to support internet servers. His goal is to develop a system that addresses security limitations and vulnerabilities that obfuscate configuration tools in other servers.
The servers he wrote add many unique security features to all the usual measures found in other leading web servers. It also uses a readable configuration syntax that can be used without requiring HTTP or CGI expertise.
The advantage of Hiawatha is its small size, high security and easy installation. It's ideal for users looking for a lightweight alternative to Apache, who prioritize security availability, speed, and performance over advanced features.
5. Cherokee
Cherokee is the third of our servers to take a name from a Native American tribe. This was created in 2001 by Alvaro Lopez Ortega, director of engineering at Akamai Technologies, who wanted to combine the speed and functionality of modular and lightweight design.
Cherokee has become a scalable, high-performance, user-friendly web server with a low memory footprint and load balancing facilities. This includes a web-based administrative interface called cherokee-admin that enables direct configuration of the server and all its functions. Cherokee runs natively on Linux, Mac OS X, BSD and Solaris, but not Windows.
6. Monkey HTTP Server
Monkey HTTP is a lightweight server and development stack that was originally optimized for Linux but is now compatible with Mac OS X as well. It is designed for embedded devices, so it is highly scalable with low memory and low CPU consumption. The project started in 2001 and moved to professional applications in 2008 when it was rewritten as an event-driven system.
The server operates through a hybrid mechanism that provides access to thousands of clients per thread. It provides high-performance heavy-duty servers that are easy to install and ideal for embedded devices.
7. Apache Tomcat
Apache Tomcat is a Servlet and Java Server Page c container developed under the Apache License that can act as a standalone server and an add-on to existing web servers such as Apache.
While Apache HTTP Server is used as a traditional server for developing static web pages, Tomcat is primarily used to deploy Java servlets and JSPs in dynamic web sites and to run web applications.
Tomcat can be used in conjunction with the Apache HTTP server, but it can also act as a capable web server thanks to its own internal HTTP server.
From: computerworlduk